


Back To Forever

by TheGreatPuzzle



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hints really, Not really relationships, sweater song by hedley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-14
Updated: 2012-05-14
Packaged: 2017-11-05 09:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/404918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatPuzzle/pseuds/TheGreatPuzzle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin goes and does the stupid guy thing. Gwen misses him. He misses her too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back To Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Somewhat loosely based off Sweater Song by Hedley. Title taken from a line in the song. It's a good song. I recommend it. I may or may not do a sequel. It really depends on how much I like this one later, and how well it's received.

Gwen knew that Merlin had to do this. She knew he did. It was some stupid guy thing, joining the army because his dad did. But she would support him in this, if he thought he had to do it.

"Please don't go." Well, she supported him inside.  Merlin turned from packing his bag. He just looked at her for a minute, taking her in.

"You know I have to do this Gwen. I'll be back before you know it."

" _Six months_ Merlin. It's not like you're going off to visit your mum for the weekend." Merlin rolled his eyes, used to her dramatics.

"Yes, but then I'll be home, and I'll find a new job and stop working for the army and you'll never have to go without me for that long again." Gwen knew he was right, _as always_ he would say, but it was still hard to watch him pack, to watch his bits of clutter from around their apartment disappear.  She would be lonely without him.

"Just, don't get hurt. Okay? And don't you impregnate some girl in where-ever-the-hell-istan. I can't clean that one up for you." Merlin rolled his eyes again, but seeing that she was being serious, turned away from his bag and gave her a hug.

"I'll be fine Gwen. I promise." Seeing the open bag behind him gave her an idea.

"Wait right here," she said, and then ran across the hall to her room. She returned moments later, carrying an oversized T-shirt reading Cardiff University Athletics along the top and below it the name in Welsh. She handed it to him saying, "So your new friends think that you did some sport or something in school." He hadn't of course. It was her shirt from the girl's football team. But she wanted him to have something of hers. From the look on his face, he understood well enough.

"Thanks Gwen. I'll wear it every day." She laughed; hoping the smile on her face hid the knot in her throat.

"I hope not! I might like it back someday." He just looked at her, and she knew that he wasn't fooled.

"I'll bring it back to you Gwen," he whispered, pulling her close to him and pressing a kiss onto the top of her head. "I promise."

And they stood there, both of them knowing he couldn't promise that, and both of them trying to believe it anyways.

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After he left, Gwen found one of his -and hers coincidentally- favourite sweaters sitting, folded neatly, on her bed. There was a note sitting on top.

_I know you hate the rain. This can keep you warm until I get back._

She wore it every time the sky darkened.

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Gwen was unlocking the door to their- _her_ apartment when she heard the phone start ringing. Her heart sped up immediately and her hands started shaking. Merlin had been gone for just over two months, and had only found time to call once in that whole time. Her hands fumbled with the keys, finally, _finally,_ unlocking the door and letting her inside. She threw her stuff down on the floor and ran to the phone.

"Merlin?" she answered, breathless.

"Gwen?" he replied. It was perhaps one of the best things she had ever heard. "Are you alright? Is this a bad time? I can call ba-"

"Merlin, if you hang up that phone, I swear to God, I will find a way to hurt you." It was maybe a bit harsh, but it was so good to hear his voice. She could feel some of the tension drain out of her chest; she hadn't even noticed it was there, she was so used to it. "Sorry. I. Sorry. It's just that it's been so long and I didn't want. Just. Don't hang up." Maybe he could hear the tears threatening just at the back of her throat, because he said,

"Okay. It's fine. I'm not going anywhere. I can talk for a while yet." After giving her a moment to compose herself, he continued. "So what's up? How's Lance?" The last was said in a teasing tone, a reference to the barista at their coffee place that she had a crush on.

"Still making the best coffee in Wales. Arthur's fine too, by the way." Arthur was Gwen's boss, with whom Merlin had a _something._ She wasn't really sure what it was. She wasn't sure they knew either.

"Oh shut up." Merlin grumbled, but she could hear the smile in his voice. "So how are you?" She went to answer him, and didn't know what to say. She was okay, maybe. Lance had finally asked for her number and Morgana had taken her shopping the weekend before last, after which they got extremely drunk and spent most of the night reminiscing about Arthur's ill-fated crush on Morgana and Gwen's ill-fated crush on Arthur. And she liked Lance, and loved Morgana, but they weren't Merlin. She still came home and expected to find him lying on the couch reading some ridiculous sci-fi novel and laughing at the more unbelievable bits. She still cooked for two, and bought his favourite cookies. She spent a lot of time in his sweater.

"I'm fine." The pointed silence down the line was clearly an _I don't believe you._ "I just miss you. A lot." she admitted quietly. She could almost hear his heart breaking for her. She didn't _want_ to make him sad, but he'd always been able to tell when she was lying. "But I'm fine. Really. I've been doing things and seeing people and everything. I just. No one is _you_ Merlin." She could hear him sigh, thought she could maybe hear his throat catch on the inhale. "I wish you were home."

"I miss you too Gwenny. Sometimes I see a flash of _something_ out of the corner of my eye, and my mind goes ' _Gwen!'_. But it's not you. Of course it's not you. Not your smile, or your laughter, or your beautiful face. I want to come home too." She could hear him try and compose himself, and gave him a moment. He continued. "You know, despite how much I hate this place, it's been a good inspiration. In fact, I've started writing us a song."

She laughed, feeling her chest lighten up, just a bit more. "Oh have you now? What's it about?"

"The amazing, beautiful, darling Gwen, who lets poor, pathetic Merlin be her friend, purely from the goodness of her heart."

"Oh Merlin, you flatter me!" She was out-and-out laughing now, her stomach cramping, and her face turning an unattractive red. She hadn't felt this good in weeks. "Want to know what else kind, beautiful Gwen did out of the goodness of her heart?" She could almost _hear_ him thinking.

"...You didn't. Did you? Gwen you're the best!" She could picture the goofy, too-wide smile on his face.

"I did. Peanut butter balls, the latest Spiderman comic, a new pair of sunglasses because I _know_ you broke your last pair Merlin, and the newest Clive Cussler."

"I didn't _break_ them-" he started, but Gwen jumped in.

"Oh shut up and thank me Merlin."

"Thank you Gwen." he recited obediently.

"You're welcome. Oh, and I forgot to say last time, but thanks for the sweater." As soon as she said it, she wondered if maybe she shouldn't have, because the mood had been so light and she didn't want to ruin anything. Well, she thought. In for a penny. "I wear it a lot. It...helps." For a moment she was afraid she really had ruined the mood but then Merlin said,

"Yeah, about your shirt. I kind of sweat a lot here, and spend most of my time covered in dirt, and I wear it a lot. So. You may not want it back." It was her turn to smile goofily now.

"That's okay Merlin. You can keep it."

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Six months. It had been six months since he left. And now, here she was, hovering anxiously just outside of the arrivals terminal, waiting for Merlin's familiar black hair to appear through the swarm of people.

"You look great." Shrieking, she spun around and threw herself at the tall, lanky man behind her.

"Merlin!" she wrapped herself around him, mindless of the crowd and the noise, focusing on him being real and here.

"Gwen." he replied warmly. "It's been too long."

"Oh don't you give me that." she snuggled closer into his arms. "I'm glad you're home."

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After dumping his stuff back into his bedroom, Gwen and Merlin sat in the living room looking at each other, drinking the other person in.

Merlin was more muscled now, Gwen noticed. Less lanky, more lean. She couldn't say she minded. She had cut her hair, and was wearing new shoes, but she noticed that his eyes were lingering on her sweater. She looked down and realized it was _his_ sweater. She glanced back over at him, ready for some teasing remark about her being lost without him- which she kind of _had been_ but he didn't need to know that- when her eyes caught on what _he_ was wearing.

Her shirt.

They both looked up at the same time, and their eyes locked. Gwen smiled at him, gratified to see that she wasn't the only one who had wanted comfort. He smiled back, a faint sheen in his eyes. They both looked away for a moment, giving the other time to compose themselves, and Gwen's eyes landed on the piano in the corner. It hadn't been played since he left, she realized. She missed the noise. Looking up at him she remembered something.

"So how about you play me the song of us? You know, the one with beautiful, amazing Gwen and poor lonely Merlin." Merlin's eyes moved to the piano as well, and he stood suddenly, walking over and flopping gracelessly onto the piano bench. He cracked his fingers like some kind of pompous composer and threw her a wink and a grin over his shoulder.

"This one's for us," he said. And she walked over, pushed him aside, and sat down with him.

"Tell me our story," she replied.

And he did.


End file.
